Artillery-projectile.



E. R. WATSON.

ARTILLERY PROJECTILE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-5.1916.

Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

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Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

nrrnn STATES PATEN clarion EDWARD R. WATSON, or INDIANAPOLIS, INDIA-NA.

, ARTILLER Y-PROJECTILE. n

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD R. WATSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artillery-Projectiles, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to artillery projectiles, particularly heavy artillery, and the main object thereof is to provide a projectile which, at a predetermined time after having been discharged from a gun, will itself discharge a plurality'of explosive shells simultaneo-usly' and, preferably, over an area much greater than would be possible if the projectile was of the usual explosive type.

A further object is to provide means connected with the projectile for discharging the explosive shells at a definite time, and also '.to provide means for' igniting the charges in the explosive shells within said projectile, and a still further object is to provide means insuring the oursting of said shells upon impact with an object, such as 'an air-craft, a building, a trench, etc., in the f invention is fully described in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which like characters referto like partsin each of the views, and in which-:-

Figure 1 is a longitudinal, axial, section taken through'a projectile constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view of a perforated cup, detached, which. I employ in each explosive shell; and

Fig. 1 is a similar view of another form of perforated cup which-I employ in conjunction with the foregoing cup.

Referring to the drawings, 5 represents a projectile of any desired dimensions and which may or may not contain a bursting. charge 6.but which does provide longitude Specification of Letters Patent,

- ,PatentedMarJW, 1917. 7. Application filed August 5,1916.- Serial 0.11amnal bore ,7 containing.anignitionelement for the discharge of .the explosive shells 8 from the projectile, said; shells being fourf-in' number in the form illustrated :-but may be of any desired number, and said bore 7 is terminated at its forwardend. in proximity to a fuse9 which maybe impact or, percussion but which is preferably of the .ti'ming' type' employed in shrapne nal' axis of the projectile and connects with four branches. 10. each of which is branched at 11 to connect with, therespectiv shell' chambers 12, the powder 13 in the bore 7 fc5 The bore, 7 isshownas on the longitudi- I connecting with the. powder. let in the branches 10 and in turn with the powder 15 e in the sub-divisions 11 and these .iniurn with the powder lfi in the respective cha mbers 12 for the shells 8,. j y l Each shell 8 consists of a cylindrical casing closed at its rear end and 'openat'itsforward end, as shown at 17 and 18, respee tively, two bores 19 being provided-in the rear end. connecting the rear vof -the shell chamber 12witli the interior or bursting charge chamber 20 of the shell powder 2,1

beingheld in the bores 19 and leadsto powder 22 in a cup 23 fitted" into the chamber 20, this cup 23' having two bores 24 having powder therein leading to powder 25 in a supplemental cup 26 also fitted into the.

chamber 20, the latter cup 26 having a centrally arranged tube 27, preferably perforated at its sides, extended forwardly into the chamber 20 for a desired distance into the bursting charge 28.

The forward end of the shell casing is of reduced diameter and screw threaded, as-

shown at 29, to receive a' cap 30 having a chamber 31 for a plurality of balls 32 arranged about a central tube 33 held between the forward end of said cap and a plate 3 1 fitted into the forward end of the chamber 20, a felt disk 35 being interposed between said plate 34 and the bursting charge 28.

The plate 34, carries a tube 36 extended.

rearwardly into the chamber 20 and perforated at this end and is extended forwardly into the tube 33 to receive apercussipn cap 37 in communication with the powder38 in the tube 36 and adapted to be exploded by a plunger 39 recessed at its inncr end and telescoped over the forward end'of the tube 36 whereby the plunger is guided in its move; me'nt. The plunger 39 extends outwardly of j the cap 30 for a desired distance and is preferably recessed at its forward end to provide a sharp rim l lntended to catch on anything against which the plunger might I ger, said pin also limiting movement of the strike when the shell 8 is in flight and thus explode the percussion cap 37. The plunger is normally held in its forward position by means of a coil spring 41 interposed between the plate 34 and a pin 42in the pluntheir contained powder, train fuses for the ignitinn of theifiring charges 16 in the cham hers 1 2 to discharge the shells 8 and, in this discharge, the bores 19 and perforated cups 23 and 26, as well as the perforated tubes 27, with their contained powder, forming train fuses for igniting the respective bursting charges 28.

\Vhen the shells are exploded, either through the medium of the timing or impact fuses, the balls 32 are scattered and the shells themselves broken into relatively small frag ments forming missiles doing damage over a relatively great area and, with the shells themselves being separated after their discharge fromthe projectile,the combined effect of all the shells is terrific.

The arrangement of the train fuses shown tends to cause discharge of all the shells 8 simultaneously and, with respect to the shells, to cause the latter to explode simultaneously, and my projectile is thus capable of great execution when used against air-craft.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

An artillery projectile. comprising a cas ing having a plurality of forwardly opening shell chambers, and a shell in each chamber,

' each shell consisting of a casing for an explosive charge, a plurality of balls in the head thereof, a tube within said head, a percussion cap in said tube and in communication with the explosive charge, and a spring resisted plunger adapted to strike said cap projected forwardly of said shell. the forward end of said plunger being recessed in order to provide a sharp rim adapted to catchon objects in the shell flight instead of deflecting the shell.

' EDWARD R. \VATSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

" Washington, D. 0. 

